The legacy of Zaha Hadid

2025 marks an important year for the legacy of Zaha Hadid: the architect, who would have turned 75 this year, continues to shape places and urban spaces around the world, with several new projects. New projects are being launched worldwide to mark her birthday, demonstrating how vibrant and influential her architecture remains to this day.

From sports and infrastructure to education and cultural heritage, five current buildings show how vibrant and pioneering the exceptional architect’s design language remains today.

The 70-hectare complex in the Nansha District combines a stadium, indoor arena, and aquatics centre to create a cohesive space for exercise and socialising. The flowing lines of the roof channel light and air, while paths and squares merge with the buildings. In November 2025, the facility hosted the China National Games – and served as an example of how sports architecture can become part of public life. The open facility cleverly integrates its outdoor spaces, making it a meeting place that extends far beyond the sporting competitions it hosts. Architecture, mobility, and landscape intertwine – a neighbourhood that aims to make exercise a shared experience.

Opening: August 2025

The Yidan Centre – the future headquarters of the international education foundation – is organised around a central, canyon-like atrium. Terraced levels, green recreation areas, and a large skylight connect the interior and exterior. The architecture promotes exchange and visual connection, while sustainable building materials and a digital twin efficiently control the complex form. A building designed as a space for thought.

Topping out: November 2025

Together with COX and Woods Bagot, a terminal was created that translates the landscape of western Sydney into architecture: a low, wide-span roof line, warm materials and a striking wooden ceiling featuring an interplay of shadows is reminiscent of eucalyptus leaves in the sunlight. Expansive glazing brings the bright Australian daylight deep into the building and creates a calm, open atmosphere for arriving travellers. 

Completion: June 2025 / Opening: End of 2026

The 390-metre-long bridge spans the UNESCO-protected Imperial Canal with three elegantly interwoven steel arches. Its curved course echoes motifs from Hangzhou’s traditional silk embroidery – like threads passing over the water. The structure was largely manufactured in modular sections so that shipping traffic on the historic canal could continue uninterrupted. The bridge forms a new gateway to the city, connecting cultural history with contemporary lightness.

Completion: October 2025 / Planned opening: end of 2025

The Danjiang Bridge will be the longest single-mast cable-stayed bridge in the world. Its 200-metre mast preserves the view of the Tamsui sunsets and minimises the impact on the estuary area. The result is a precise infrastructure project with a surprisingly light, almost floating presence.

Opening: 12 May 2026

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